[HP] The Dark Duke's Candy

The summer vacation of 1942 arrived amidst a tumult.

Candice got on the train home.

Her friends were chatting lively about the arrangements for the summer vacation, but she sat in the corner with a lot of thoughts and didn't say a word.

Freemont has been paying attention to her. He wanted to ask her what's wrong several times, but he felt that she didn't necessarily want to say it.

He frowned, his caramel-colored eyes turned away in annoyance, and remained silent in a depressed mood.

Candice's summer vacation arrangements this year are very simple. Spend time with her father at home, preview her homework, and then go to Godric's Hollow—Professor Dumbledore invited her to his house as a guest.

Candice hasn't been back to Godric's Hollow for a long time.

She even has a blurred memory of the home she grew up in.

Mr. Chris Bell has more gray hair than in previous years.

In fact, he is still very young, so he shouldn't have gray hair so quickly. Professor Dumbledore is 60 years old, and he doesn't have any gray hair.

Candice stood by the kitchen, looked at her father who was cooking for a long time before asking, "Dad, is the Ministry of Magic busy?"

Mr. Bell paused, looked back and asked, "It's okay, why are you asking this?"

Candice pointed to her hair and said, "Your hair is gray."

Mr. Bell smiled when he heard the words: "You are already 15 years old, Candice, as a father, it is normal for me to have some gray hair."

Candice was in a daze for a moment, and muttered to herself: "Yeah, I'm already 15 years old...I'm going to graduate in a few years."

"To be precise, you will be graduating in less than three years." Mr. Bell wiped his hands, "You will be in the fifth grade at the beginning of school, and Hogwarts will take the junior wizard exam in the fifth grade. It shouldn't be a problem for you."

Candice shrugged with a smile: "I think so."

"Have you ever thought about what to do after graduation?" Mr. Bell walked in front of her, "As a father, I can give you some advice. Of course, you can also choose to have your professor help you after you officially enter the fifth grade." Do career guidance."

Speaking of the professor, Candice straightened her face slightly: "Professor Dumbledore invited me to visit his house during the summer vacation. I think I can ask him about employment when I think about it."

Mr. Bell was very satisfied with this: "When are you going to go there? I'll take you there."

Candice thought for a while and said, "I can go through the fireplace. I remember that you opened the fireplace from here to my hometown not long ago."

Mr. Bell was slightly startled, and he said after a long time: "...Yes, I have indeed activated the fireplace from here to my hometown. Then, you can go back through the fireplace by yourself. I agree with this plan."

Even though many years have passed, Mr. Bell still feels a little out of his mind when he mentions the topic related to his deceased wife.

Candice blinked, and asked her father in a low tone: "Dad, the pain caused by love is always greater than the joy, right?"

Mr. Bell was stunned and said in surprise, "Why did you suddenly ask this?"

Candice turned her face away: "It's nothing, just seeing that you still can't get over your mother's death, and I'm feeling a little bit emotional."

Mr. Bell pressed his lips tightly, and it took a long time before he said to her: "Candice, as a father, I can't explain to you too much about this kind of thing. The only thing I can say is that even if I knew your mother from the beginning Will leave me very early, and I will not regret meeting and falling in love with her."

Candice's downcast eyes were thoughtful, Mr. Bell patted her on the shoulder and said, "I won't worry about the parting that will come sooner or later, I will spend my time getting along well so that I won't leave any regrets .”

This is the first time Candice has talked about relationship issues with her father.

It was the first time that he talked about his dead mother so bluntly.

Probably because she has grown into a big girl, and her mother has passed away for many years, and her father has gradually come out.

You see, now that the conversation about his dead wife is over, Mr. Bell can at least show a smile, can't he?

Candice went to Godric's Hollow at the end of July.

She returned to the Bell family's house in Godric's Hollow through the fireplace, the place that held the happy memories of their family of three.

Although no one has been here for a long time, it is still clean and tidy. This is probably the magic of magic.

Candice walked around this familiar and unfamiliar house, and went to Professor Dumbledore's residence at the appointed time.

It happened to be noon when she arrived, and Fox flew out of the window to greet her.

"Hello Fox, your feathers look more colorful and beautiful than before Nirvana." Candice praised with a smile.

Fox seemed delighted to be complimented, hooting high in the sky and performing a backflip for her.

Candice applauded it, and Professor Dumbledore opened the door at this time. He was wearing a light-colored wizard robe and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and said gently: "Welcome Candice, Come in."

Candice nodded and entered the room with Fox. As soon as she entered the door, she smelled a particularly sweet smell.

"This is my gift." Candice handed the visiting gift she had prepared to Dumbledore, and said a little excitedly, "I smell very fragrant—is that what I think?"

Dumbledore put away her gift carefully, raised his eyebrows and said, "Guess what?"

Candice thought for a while with her chin in her hand, then smiled and said, "I guess that's what I thought! Is it in the kitchen? I can't help it!"

Before she finished speaking, she rushed into the kitchen. She is very familiar with this place. She always came here to steal food when she was a child. From the moment she entered the room and smelled the sweet smell, she knew Professor Dumbledore must have made the dessert himself.

A person who loves sweets makes sweets by himself, and the taste will never be bad.

The baking skills taught by Dumbledore can be said to be second only to his magical achievements. Candice couldn't resist all the desserts he personally made, and soon ate them all over her face.

"You can eat slowly, Candice, it's just us here today, you don't have to share them with anyone."

Dumbledore walked into the kitchen, saw her gobbling up there, and said with a smile.

Candice swallowed the delicious food in her mouth, pursed her lips and said embarrassingly, "It's just that I haven't eaten sweets for a long time, you know...some things happened recently, and I didn't care about satisfying my appetite."

Of course Dumbledore knew something had happened recently. The reason why he invited Candice to visit during the summer vacation was to relieve her mood.

But what they didn't expect was that a great crime was brewing at a certain moment and a certain place during this seemingly peaceful summer vacation.

Candice will stay at the Dumbledores for a few days, and return home after going to Diagon Alley to buy the things needed for the fifth grade.

It just so happened that during the few days she was staying at Dumbledore, some tricky things happened.

The owl from the Ministry of Magic broke in here and delivered the urgent letter to Dumbledore. Candice was reading a book in the living room at the time. She looked over worriedly and saw Professor Dumbledore's frown.

Does the professor seem to have encountered a problem?

Candice closed the book slowly, hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked over.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" she asked concerned.

Dumbledore looked at her and comforted her softly: "It's nothing, it's just that I need to go there in person, can you be at home by yourself?"

Candice nodded quickly: "Of course, professor. If you have something to do, go and do it. I will be 16 soon, and I can take care of myself."

Dumbledore reached out and touched her head, put the letter away and said, "It's safe here. Try not to go out when I'm not around. If you must go out, remember to write to me. I shouldn't be back too late."

Candice didn't have any objections. She stood by the window and watched Dumbledore leave with Fox. At that time, she thought that the professor could go home at night, but he didn't.

Dumbledore left for three days, and Candice saw some news in the Daily Prophet three days later.

A tragedy happened in the wizarding world in which a bad wizard killed a Muggle family, which even alarmed the Muggle police and caused quite a stir.As the director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, Mr. Bell sent people to intervene as soon as the case happened. They caught the Muggle murderer and modified the memory of the Muggle policeman who handled the incident, which would affect bottomed out.

Candice looked at the contents of the newspaper, and somewhat understood where her father's gray hair came from.

More and more wizards are getting restless, wanting to do something, which undoubtedly increases the work of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, especially this... Morfin Gaunt, who brutally killed the little A certain Muggle family in Hangleton, not only does not repent of their crimes, but also proud of it, showing off everywhere, is really a lunatic.

It seems that there is nothing wrong with such a lunatic being sentenced to life imprisonment.

Candice put down the newspaper, she stood up, and wanted to write a letter to Professor Dumbledore, telling him that she was going home first, but before she could find the quill and parchment, she heard the sound of apparition .

She ran out of the room and went downstairs, and saw the dusty Dumbledore in the living room on the first floor.

"Professor!" Candice stepped forward quickly, "You're back! How are things going?"

Dumbledore looked at her with complicated eyes, and did not answer her question quickly. His eyes made Candice a little scared.

"What's wrong?" Candice put her hands on the back of the sofa beside her, "Did something happen?"

Dumbledore pondered for a moment, as if he had made a decision, he said, "Candice, there is something I have to tell you."

Candice looked at him in bewilderment.

Dumbledore glanced at the Daily Prophet on the living room table: "You should have seen the news. A dark wizard killed the whole family of a Muggle and was imprisoned in Azkaban and sentenced to life imprisonment."

"...Does this matter have anything to do with my father?" Candice didn't know what was going on at all. The connection she could think of with her now was that being a magic accident and The father of the Director of the Disaster Department, maybe there was something wrong with his father's handling, which caused the dissatisfaction of the Ministry of Magic's boss?

Candice's innocent thoughts and innocent eyes really made Dumbledore not know how to say the next words.

But he had to say it.

She has a right to know this out of concern for her safety.

"The Muggle whose whole family was killed, his name is..." Dumbledore was silent for a while before saying, "Tom Riddle."

Candice was stunned, her eyes widened and she said in disbelief: "What did you say??? Tom Riddle?? He was the one who killed the whole family?!?!"

Obviously, Candice thought this Tom Riddle was the Tom Riddle she knew.

But not like that.

Dumbledore quickly explained: "It's not him, it's old Tom Riddle. I can't give a 100% accurate answer yet, but I guess that the dead family may be related to Mr. Riddle. After all, Mr. Riddle The last name Del is not very common."

Candice was stunned, she stood there with a pale face: "So you mean...all Tom's possible relatives in this world were killed by Morfin Gaunt?"

"...According to the Ministry of Magic, it is indeed so." Dumbledore frowned, "The Riddle family all died of the Avada Kedavra Curse, which does not leave any scars, and the Muggle authorities still don't know How exactly did they die, but we all know it was at the hands of wizards. Morfin Gaunt, the murderer caught by the Ministry of Magic, who lived on the hill opposite the family, hated Muggles, and Has a history of assaulting the Riddle family and has been in jail for it in the past."

He said solemnly, "It's also because of this that the Ministry of Magic arrested Morfin immediately after the accident. They didn't even ask much, and they got Morfin's unreserved attention without using Veritaserum or Legilimency." Answer. He provided the Ministry with details known only to the murderer, and said he was proud to have killed those Muggles. He said he had been waiting for this opportunity for so many years, and the wand he handed over to the Ministry was also It proved to be the murder weapon that killed the Riddle family. He didn't resist and was imprisoned in Azkaban obediently. The only disturbing thing is that his father's ring is missing."

This is a perfect chain of evidence.

From the source to the end, there is no doubt.

The only disturbing thing, as Dumbledore said, was that Morfin Gaunt's father's ring was missing.

"A ring... compared to the tragic death of a family, it is really insignificant." Candice took a long time to speak, and she asked lightly, "Do you think, Tom... I mean, the Tom we know, Does he know about it?"

"That's why I told you this." Dumbledore said, "Candice, I'm not sure if Mr. Riddle knows about this, but as far as I know, he has always been very concerned about his own life experience." Fascinated, maybe he already knew something... And, there is another thing, I guess you are also an insider."

Candice looked at her dean: "What are you referring to?"

Dumbledore changed his tone cautiously and said, "About Mr. Riddle's talent - he's a Parseltongue, you know that?"

Candice opened her mouth, but no sound came out, but that was enough.

"It seems that you know." Dumbledore said quickly, "Then you also need to know another thing."

"……What's up?"

"Morfin Gaunt, the dark wizard who killed the old Riddles, is the only known, extant, direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin."

Candice looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. This news was really more shocking than the one just now. Dumbledore hesitated a little, but finally continued to tell what he knew.

"You should know that Parseltongue is a unique talent of the descendants of Slytherin. I knew his talent when I was Mr. Riddle's guide. And, Mrs. Cole, the administrator of the orphanage where Mr. Riddle works, She also told me some other information." Dumbledore said softly, "Mr. Riddle's mother died soon after giving birth to him, leaving only his name——Tom Marvolo Del, and Marvolo is the name of Morfin Gunter's father, Marvolo Gunter. The lost resurrection stone ring also belongs to Marvolo Gunter."

The amount of information is simply too great.

If you combine the information that Professor Dumbledore said, that is to say—Tom Riddle, he should be of mixed race, his mother is from the Gaunt family who lived opposite the old Riddle house, and committed a crime not long ago. Morfin Gaunt, who committed the brutal murder, was probably his uncle.

My own uncle killed my whole paternal family?

Candice has grown up so much, and has never been exposed to such a creepy thing. She leaned against the sofa with a pale face, and after a long time of digestion, she reluctantly said: "If they are really Tom's relatives, why haven't they been seen for so many years?" Has anyone ever looked for him?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment before saying: "...This is a regrettable thing, Candice. Mrs. Cole also said that since Tom's mother gave birth to him and passed away, there has never been anyone from Tom. Since Riddle or Marvolo's family came to him, I guess... he and his mother were deported or abandoned."

This is really unfortunate.

It appears that his birth was unanticipated, and it was never really thought of by any relatives to search for him.

Perhaps, they will feel disgusted and disgusted by it.

What a pity.

The heart began to ache inexplicably, Candice raised her hand to cover her heart, and her face became paler.

Dumbledore looked at her worriedly, and said after a moment: "Candice, I tell you these things because you and Mr. Riddle used to have a close relationship, and I'm worried that you might be unsafe."

Candice froze for a moment, then asked a little puzzled, "Why am I insecure?"

Dumbledore didn't know what to say.

Most of what he knows so far is just his guesswork.Put it on a 16-year-old kid, it seems a little heavy.He needs to investigate everything and wait until everything is certain before he can really say anything.

These all take time.

So in the end, Dumbledore didn't really say anything, he just reminded from the side: "I hope you can protect yourself, that's all. If all my guesses are true, then such an experience would be too bad , if Mr. Riddle knew about these things, or..." He still didn't say "or he participated in these things" in the end, it seems a bit too irresponsible, Dumbledore is a fair and upright character after all Lanffindor, at this moment, even if Tom Riddle had a suspicious identity in the Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets incident, he never thought of really cutting off the future of this teenage child.

He just hoped to solve all the mysteries and bring the truth to the public, and never thought of putting a 16-year-old child to death.

What's more, he hasn't got conclusive evidence right now, so what he says can't be so arbitrary.

He changed into a gentle and compassionate tone and said: "—This kind of encounter is hard for anyone to accept, Mr. Riddle... You should know his personality better than me. He is sometimes extreme. If he really Knowing these things, I worry that he will do something irreparable."

He wanted to try his best to think the best of it—maybe he was paranoid, this murder had nothing to do with this young student, he might know about these things, but he was not yet capable of participating in it, he might just be a bystander, and the Ministry of Magic Their verdict was correct. Apart from a gloomy personality and a rough childhood, this young student wasn't really bad to the bone.

What he will do now may be just some "prank" behaviors that affect innocent people because of the pain he has suffered.

It was the best Dumbledore could think of.

Riddle is a Slytherin. He admits that at some point he does have subtle prejudices because of the academy, but what really makes him feel that Riddle can't be kind and stay out of it is his increasingly suspicious identity in the Chamber of Secrets incident .

Under such a premise, Candice, as a girl who had a close relationship with him but broke up with him, may encounter danger at any time no matter from which angle she looks at it.

After such a long silence, Candice also slightly understood what Professor Dumbledore meant.

She subconsciously wanted to defend Riddle, wanted to tell the professor that Riddle was not that bad, that he was misunderstood, and that he would not hurt her, or hurt other people.She wanted to say that he just had a bad temper, but there was no problem with his personality. He had already suffered such a terrible experience, and he should not be misunderstood anymore...

But she ended up saying nothing.

Everything Professor Dumbledore said and did today was for her own good.

He just didn't want her to get hurt.

Candice's face was a little pale, she clenched her fists, and said seriously: "I understand what you mean, professor. I will protect myself, I promise you."

Dumbledore looked at his girl with relief, and raised his hand to pat her on the head.

He had nothing more to say.

For a child, he has revealed too much information, he does not want to cause any psychological burden to Candice, he has only picked up what can be said and must be said, he wants her to have a happy and relaxed girlhood , worked hard for this, but the situation still doesn't seem to be very good.

Candice leaves Dumbledore's residence.

She went back to her own house, and Mr. Bell, busy wrapping up the murders, hadn't been home for several days.

Candice came out of the fireplace, stood for a while in the empty living room, and walked to her room on the second floor.

She stood in front of the door and turned the handle a little bit. When the door opened and she walked in, she saw the person she was thinking about.

She thought she was hallucinating and rubbed her eyes vigorously.

When she looked over again, the man was still leaning there.

His figure is clear, so real, not her hallucination.

"...Tom?" Candice called him as if talking to herself.

Riddle was wearing a simple black wizard robe and sat on the floor next to Candice's bed.

He held the wand in his hand, and with little effort, the wand dangled lightly in his hand.

Candice's voice woke him up with his eyes closed. His face was pale, and when he opened his eyes, his dark pupils were faintly blood-colored.

He looks bad.

Both mentally and physically, it seems that they have been hit hard.

Candice thought of the exterminated Riddle family, his terrible uncle, and his poor mother.

She walked over quickly, grabbed the sleeve of the robe and said, "Are you okay?"

Riddle leaned against the bed board, and he seemed to want to use his hands to support himself to stand up, but he failed.

He seemed to have no strength at all, and fell back to his original position hard.

His arm hit the corner of the bed, and Candice was in pain, but he didn't let out any pain.

Candice suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

She stepped forward, squatted beside him, and asked worriedly: "You know, right? Your family, what happened between them..."

Riddle's black eyes stared at her, he kept silent, just looked at her, no matter how she called him or asked him questions, he didn't make any answer.

"If you're sad, just cry." Candice sat next to him, the floor was a little cold, but she didn't care about that at all.

She forgot their quarrels, their conflicts, and his crazily persecuting.

Riddle stared at her with red eyes, he forced a smile at her, severe pain appeared in his always indifferent and proud eyes, the pain that seemed to have lost everything invaded Candice's last line of defense, Maybe Riddle has done many things that made her unacceptable and sad, but that has not really risen to any irreversible principled issues.

Sometimes he just keeps his mouth shut.

Now he is just a bewildered 16-year-old youth who experienced the cannibalism of his relatives and caused a murder.

Candice slowly embraced Riddle's shoulders, and Riddle leaned gently on her body. The sadness and near-collapse aura around him were not fake, but their origins were different from what Candice thought.

He wasn't sad because his uncle had killed his Muggle relatives.

It was he who planned the deaths of those people and Morfin's imprisonment.

He is the real murderer.

But he still felt sad.

He has pursued his life experience for so long, and the Gunter family that he thought would bring him glory and belonging turned out to be just a joke.

A dilapidated house is the most expensive property of the Gunter family.

A filthy mad uncle, the only wizard in the world who, like him, shed the blood of the great Salazar Slytherin.

And those humble, conceited Muggle kin...

They are all too ridiculous.

Even his birth was a joke.

His mother, the woman who had blasphemed her noble blood, was not only abandoned by that Muggle man, but also killed herself, creating his unbearable childhood by herself.

Before she even left home, she stole the locket belonging to the Heir of Slytherin.

That might be her most valuable thing, right?What did she get in exchange for it?a piece of bread?A cup of water?

Anyway, it was definitely not sacrificed for him.

Her whole life was just for that Muggle man, and although she'd never done anything for her son, it didn't matter, he didn't mind helping her.

Now they can be reunited in hell, which is great, isn't it.

Riddle rested his chin on Candice's shoulder and lowered his eyes to the resurrection stone ring he was wearing that belonged to his maternal grandfather Marvolo Gaunt, which he could find at the Gaunt's house. The only thing of value anymore.

But don't worry.

The same thing, what belongs to him, he will find it back.

Whether it's the locket, or whatever, and... his dignity.

Candice felt the teenage body tremble against her.

Is he cold?No, he is not cold.

Candice turned her head slowly, and quietly looked at the young man's eyebrows and eyes. He was so painful that he was silent and refused to say a word. His hands were clenched tightly under the robe, and she couldn't see his pale and bloodless face. With both hands, she could only see the suspected tear stains in the corners of his eyes.

"Are you sad?" Candice said in a soft voice, "If you are sad, just cry out. I won't tell others. Everything will be fine. You are doing well without them, aren't you? Act as if they never existed."

Anyway... Anyway, those guys, they never cherished him, nor did they look for him.

It's hard to imagine how Tom's mother felt when she came to the orphanage with him desperate.

What kind of despair made her, as a witch, never think about saving herself, and died when her son was born.

Candice still felt that Riddle was upset about these things.

fair enough.

Maybe in this way, she will put aside the past and return to him.

Women have maternal love and compassion.

Why didn't his mother have one?

Riddle smiled, and that smile looked a little sad.

He bowed his head and let the tears fall—if this thing could move her, make him truly and fully have her again, then he wouldn't mind shedding a little more.

He has always been good at acting, his acting skills are very good, he can fool anyone.

However, at this moment when tears welled up, he gradually began to be unable to tell whether he was really acting or was really sad.

After all, he was only 16 years old.

After all... he had expected something.

Although, starting today, he will never have any expectations of the past.